Blindfold Chronicles
by Pegistar5
Summary: A collection of one-shot stories written for the MCAuthor club on Amino.
1. The Sound of Horror (Prompt: Horror)

_"Welcome to Wonderland."_

It was dark. It was cold. It was musty. It was…

She shivered. There was barely any light, but what she saw was undesirable.

The room was a dark muddy brown that caged her in. The corners were completely shadowed by darkness. The air stank of an old rotten carcass- and something else, something she didn't recognize.

Why was she here?

Marry shakily got to her feet. She was scared. She was scared, and she didn't want to be here.

There was a door. It had suddenly appeared in front of her. It was an old wooden door, half-decayed and mildewy. She put her hand on the knob and recoiled. The hand was slick, far too slick to be natural. It was a glistening black, gleaming too much in the darkness.

M-maybe the sliminess was just water?

She told herself that, told herself to believe it, but she didn't really believe it. She yanked the door open and ran through it. Her hand tingled, as though it had been stung. Corrupted. She swallowed down the bile and trudged on.

She was walking along a wearied and cracked cobblestone road, the stones faded and chipped. Crimson roses and charcoal crosses were scattered along the path. There was more light now, but it was an off-putting red, like the sun's dying rays, only redder.

It reminded her of blood.

She gulped and shook her head. It wasn't time to be thinking about that. She needed to get out. She needed to get out.

There was a pounding in her head. She gripped a hand to her heart and tried to breathe steadily. In, out, in, out. The pounding- was it getting louder? Was it getting louder? She whipped around.

There was no one there.

She exhaled, turned, and bolted. She hated this place, even more than the dark room. This place was red and horrible, and everything felt wrong.

There was yet another door at the end of the path, opened this time. She barrelled into it, and the door slammed shut behind her. She gasped and threw herself back into the door. Nonononono… she couldn't be trapped, she couldn't be, couldn't be-!

"Hello, little Alice."

She jerked around. It was a young boy, about her age maybe, with brown hair and cold, hazel eyes. He was wearing a dirty white jacket, a murky sky-blue shirt underneath, and tight brown sandals. Knives hung from the belt around his waist. She took a step back and her spine brushed against the door.

"M-my name's not Alice-"

"I don't care." He idly twirled one of his knives. "You're quite the troublemaker, you know. I want nothing more than to serve my liege, and yet her power is being called in question. Right as you fell into this world… how very coincidental."

Marry shrank back. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

"I have orders." He turned and affixed his gaze on her. "You are to be brought to the Queen's court. Unharmed, unfortunately, but orders are orders." He walked up to her.

Marry cowered under his stare. Her body trembled at the coldness in his eyes, the cruelty. She saw the glint of a knife, and screamed.

There was a sharp pain, and everything went black.

* * *

She awoke in a grayed cell. Her hands were bound in chains, and her feet were weighed down by a large metal ball. The quiet dripping of water echoed emptily in the corner.

She lifted her head. There was a white-haired male next to her, also imprisoned. His eyes- a dull pink- were staring lifelessly at the ground. He was so still… she feared the worst.

She buried her head into her knees and trembled. She didn't want to be here! Why was she here! She wanted to get out of this place!

 _Do you really wish to get out?_

She flinched at the noise. It hadn't come from the male, he was still staring lifelessly at the ground. The voice had rang in his head, without any clear source. Was she hearing things?

 _Do you really wish to get out?_

There it was again. She swallowed nervously and nodded, not daring to speak.

 _One has been infected with the blood of the basilisk. Find the monster and kill them… before it's too late. Accomplish this task, and you can leave this place._

Her blood chilled. Kill?

 _Tick tock._ The voice fell silent.

She wiped her clammy hands on her dress. Somehow, it hadn't torn yet. She looked up at the male, the male who was far too still, and nudged him with her foot.

His finger twitched. Slowly, achingly slowly, he lifted his head.

"H-hello," she tried.

The male closed his eyes and opened them. She swallowed.

"W-what's your name?"

Another slow blink. A pause.

"...Konoha."

She attempted a smile. It felt feeble. "A-ah, my name's Marry."

Again they fell to silence, one that crawled up her skin. She didn't like it. She didn't like any of it.

"...Why are you here?" Her voice was hopelessly fluttery.

He averted his eyes. "...I… don't… know." His voice was thick, as if the words were dragged out of him.

"Oh… I see…" She didn't see at all. Was he really wasting away in this cell for that long? She hoped not.

There was a faint beating. She flinched and shrank back from the cell door. Konoha didn't react.

"I'm sorry."

Marry blinked and stared at him. "...W-what?"

The beating was getting louder now. She recognized it as footsteps.

Konoha angled his eyes towards her. His lips formed a whisper.

"I'm not myself, you see."

The cell door swung open.

* * *

"Hello, hello! Welcome to the one and only Queen's Court!" It was a male with straw-blond hair, a sickeningly sweet smile plastered on his face. "I am your host, the Cheshire Cat!" He twirled around once and bowed.

The chains in her captor's hands tightened. A frown colored his face, the first she'd seen.

"Idiot." He yanked the chains, and Marry stumbled forward. Konoha dazedly stepped forth to avoid tripping. Their captor turned around and smirked. "Right then, Alice, Caterpillar."

"My name's not Alice," she whispered, but it went ignored.

"I'm sure you have questions, and I'll do my best to answer them. I am the Mad Hatter. I answer to the Queen, and only the Queen. Unfortunately, the Queen has been facing some… difficulties in her kingdom. Someone has challenged her rule, causing unrest among the people. The White Rabbit- the guy who took you in- has been going around and eliminating those who get too… rowdy. You see, we don't really want to have our Wonderland be tainted with blood. Which is why the Queen has decided to make sure any anomalies are… taken care of."

Marry gulped and tried to focus on anything other than the male's eyes. His hair was a deep black, slightly unkempt and messy. He was wearing a green jumpsuit, the dye slightly worn away. There were multiple fuzzy areas, like nicks in the leather. On his head was a small army hat with a pair of goggles.

The chain was yanked once more. She was met with a smile that was all too sharp. "I do hope you're listening to me," he drawled. "The Queen dislikes such… absentmindedness. It will do you well to pay attention."

She flinched and nodded. Her heart drummed in her ears, beating on her head.

 _Kill- the- mon- ster. Kill- the- mon- ster._

She wanted to get out. But she didn't want to kill. She didn't want to stain her hands with that awful, horrible substance…

The crowd's roar snapped her out of her daze. The noise was deafening, howling through the corridor. Her captor barked out a laugh. Konoha slid his eyes up to the entrance, the view of the frenzied crowd awaiting him.

"Now then!" the Cheshire Cat called. "Let the trial begin!"

* * *

She was frozen. Petrified. The crowd's mocking gaze bore into her, dug through her skin and clawed to her heart. She barely dared to breathe, the heaving of her chest far too harsh for her liking. On another platform was Konoha, his posture stiff and impenetrable. He didn't show the slightest bit of emotion on his face, completely cold and stoic.

"Now then." A girl clad in black opened a thick black book. "The trial will be between the Queen and the traitors. The Queen- the accuser- has the right to use whatever means necessary to get information out of the traitors- the…" she wrinkled her nose, "... _defendants_. The defendants have the right to defend themselves-"

Boos rippled through the crowd.

"Yes, yes, I know you don't like it, but rules are rules and other distasteful legal jabber." She rolled her eyes and continued. "They have the right to plead guilty for a decreased sentence, and they have the right to try and run away should the need arise."

Another jeer rang from the crowd. The girl glared at them and flipped her finger.

"Your first warning." The crowd fell silent. "The defendants are, of course, not allowed to leave the court until the Queen dismisses them. Furthermore, the Queen decides when the trial ends, and the Queen is the one who decides the verdict. I, the Duchess, will be the juror for this trial, and will announce the Queen's verdict." She slammed the book shut and shoved it to the side. A dazzling smile split her face, one that almost felt wrong. "Now then! With all that _finally_ out of the way, I present to you the Queen of Hearts!"

The cheers nearly blasted her ears off with their volume. She clamped her hands over her ears and shrank back. All eyes were on her- no, behind her- eager and almost hungry.

She turned. Above her was a female with long green hair, draped in deep purple robes that trailed on the ground. She descended from the stairs, her emerald pumps darting out with every step. Her gaze was cruel and callous, even as she was surrounded by fanatic cheers. She walked to a throne situated at the front of the circle and sat.

"Uncover your ears," she commanded.

Marry started and slowly lowered her hands. The Queen then turned her head to Konoha, a challenge in her gaze. Konoha only stared emptily back.

"You are here on the account of treason," she stated, "Caterpillar, Alice. Admit to your crimes now, and you'll have a… less painful time."

Marry trembled. Her throat closed up.

"...I see," she droned. "I suppose I'll have to force your confession from you."

A blade was pointed at her throat. Marry gulped and stared. It was a sleek, gleaming silver, polished to an edge and almost blinding her with its brilliance.

How could something so deadly be so beautiful?

She wanted to run. She wanted to run, but her feet refused to budge. Again, her heart pounded in her head. _Kill- the- mon- ster. Kill- the- mon- ster._

"Speak your crimes," the Queen snarled. "Or I'll run you through."

"Y… You'll kill me," she gasped. Her voice quavered. "I- I'll die."

A small smirk graced her lips. "You won't die. Not with this sword. Although… you'll wish you were when I'm done with you."

Marry leaned back as far as she could without falling. Konoha… Konoha was still staring emptily ahead, not even paying the slightest attention to her.

 _Kill- the- mon- ster. Kill- the- mon- ster._

She was trapped. She was trapped, and she didn't want to be here.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she whispered. "I don't know, I don't know!"

The Queen's eyes were cold. "Then I suppose you'll suffer."

She lunged. Marry screamed and tripped. The sword passed over her head. The Queen's face twisted into a burning scowl. She angled her sword down and swung.

Marry rolled away and scrambled to her feet. She didn't think. She bolted. Her vision was blurring before her, the crowd's cheers were deafening. She collided into someone and crashed to the ground. The pounding accelerated.

 _Kill-the-mon-ster. Kill-the-mon-ster._

A sob was strangled out of her mouth. She staggered upright. Something hard barreled into her and she fell again.

Something was pressing on her back, pinning her down. It dug into her skin and ground against bone. She cried out and felt a sting in her eyes.

"Someone… please…!" she whimpered. "Please… help…!"

"Poor little Alice," the Queen scoffed. "All alone. How foolish she must be to think she could ever run from me."

The crowd roared their approval. Marry gritted her teeth.

 _Killthemonster-killthemonster-_

Something was pressed into her hands. She clenched her hand around it. It was rough and grainy.

 _Kill._

 _The._

 _Mon-_

 _-ster._

She wanted to get out.

She screeched and lashed out. The pressure on her back slackened. She threw herself up and tore at the Queen. The wooden sliver in her hands found their way into flesh.

A piercing wail. "MY EYES!"

She didn't stop. She didn't let up. She kept jabbing and jabbing and jabbing, until red stained her hands and her ears rang with screams. She kept her assault until bones crunched under her foot and the body in front of her crumbled.

 _Kill the monster._

She whirled around. Somebody snarled and flung themselves at her. She ducked under the knife and tackled into him. Her free hand found the knives hanging from his waist and used one to stab his heart. The White Rabbit lurched back and fell.

The Duchess was staring at her with wide eyes. With the wooden sliver in hand, she flew at her and jammed it into her throat. She gasped once and collapsed.

She ripped out the sliver and cast her eyes about. The crowds were fleeing, swarms of people piling on top of one another. Her eyes honed in on the Mad Hatter, and she attacked.

The strike that was aimed at him was shoved away. Before her was the Cheshire Cat, with a narrowed gaze and fanged smile. He reached for her, but she dodged and drove her fist into his stomach. He grunted and staggered back. She followed and ran him to the ground. Her fists tightened on the sliver and she bashed him again and again.

The Mad Hatter was yelling, a murderous glint in his eyes. The chains in his hand clanked ominously. She met his gaze and tensed her muscles.

He was thrown back by another figure, one she recognized. Konoha reared back his fist and slammed it into his head. Blood splayed the ground. There was a choked whisper, and he was hit again. And again. And again.

Marry walked up to him and drove her weapon through his heart. His limbs spasmed, then laid still.

Silence. The Queen's Court was quiet. Empty. The audience- once frenzied and ecstatic- had left fearful and frantic. The only ones that remained were the corpses and the killers.

She let loose a sigh and dropped to her knees. The scent of blood hung over them, like a thick blanket in the air. She looked up at Konoha, the same empty gaze in his eyes.

She looked at herself. There were splotches of red on her dress, and her fingers were slick with that same redness. In her hands was a wooden stake, drenched in crimson.

She gasped. The stake clattered to the ground. Her eyes prickled as she stared at the awful, horrible substance coating her hands. They started to quiver. She felt her whole body shake along with them. The needles in her eyes turned hot and streamed down her cheeks.

She had wanted to get out.

And she had killed for it.

An foreboding laughter rang in her head. It was a voice she had only heard once before, and yet it was all too familiar.

 _Time's up._

She heard a choked cry. Konoha fell to his hands and knees and was heaving. His eyes dilated and turned a sickening red. Tears spilled to the ground. A blackness was twisting through his hair, corrupting it and engulfing it entirely. His clothes were also turning black- black and a murky yellow-green.

Her breath caught in her throat. She crawled back slowly, cold sweat breaking out on her skin.

"No… no… no, no, no, no- nononononono-!"

She should have known. She should have known.

" _I'm not myself, you see."_

The bloody eyes of the basilisk locked onto her. She took her final breath and screamed.

The corrupted Wonderland shook with the sound of horror.

* * *

 **A/N: This was based off of an Outer Science cover on RafScrap's channel for A-L1! Please go check it out! Some of the lines are ripped straight from the PV haha**


	2. Fire to his Ice (Prompt: Warmth)

She was the fire to his ice.

They first met in a classroom, his element. He was busy plotting his course through his academic life when he noticed the window seat was taken, by a girl, no less. He was forced to take the seat next to it.

"Hello!" the girl chirped, a bright smile on her face. At the time, he had only thought of how aggravating it was to have the window seat taken.

"Hello," he muttered, turning to the blackboard as if it had held all the answers. He didn't want to be impolite, but this girl was _clearly_ a social magnet, and he was _not_ , damnit!

Instead of more incessant chatter, the girl looked at him knowingly and chuckled a little. He frowned, but didn't pursue. After all, this girl was leaving him alone. There was no reason to get her to talk when he didn't want her to talk in the first place.

The girl stared out the window and smiled. "I've decided."

The frankness in her tone caused his eyes to slide over to her.

"I'm going to become your friend!"

Shintaro nearly slammed his head into the desk.

* * *

He was roped into doing all sorts of activities with her, from things as mundane as comparing homework scores and walking home together, to more complicated outings like visiting the park.

Never let it be said that Shintaro was a social butterfly.

Despite that, he started to… enjoy her company. There was something reassuring about knowing that someone would always be there for him, no matter what he did. There was something uplifting about watching her smile and giggle and laugh in his presence.

She reminded him of fire.

Not the raging inferno that destroyed anything in its path, no. She was a soft, flickering flame that brought warmth, like a candle. That didn't mean she wasn't capable of destructive force, though. He had learned that for himself. Even though her test scores were _awful_ , and she was labeled as a dunderhead in his mind, it didn't matter.

The girl was _clever_.

Not academically, hell no. She was a master at manipulating others in the social setting. Got a friend problem? She was there. Wanted to get information from someone without their knowledge? She's got your back. Had a bully?

That bully would be ground to dust.

He knew, because he had experienced it himself. At a high school, there were always _those_ types of people, the kind who roamed around trying to put others down because they were too average to make a difference otherwise. Fools, the lot of them. He always saw them as nuisances that he didn't need to bother with. After all, what were they going to be when they grew up? Nobodies. So there was no reason to associate with them.

Some of their words were sharp, though, chipped away at the ice that was his heart. It never did more than sting a little, but the damage was done.

They cornered him again in the hallway. It was hilariously cliche, but at the time he was too annoyed to care.

"Hey, look!" the leader crowed. "It's the friendless loser!"

Shintaro rolled his eyes. "Hey look, it's the hopeless rejects," he droned.

The leader shoved him roughly and he stumbled. "Oh come on! Is school all you care about? You really must be stupid to think that this place would do anything for you!"

"And yet you are still here," he deadpanned. The leader sneered and loomed over him. Predictable.

"The only reason _we_ are here," he purred, "is for certain… benefits." He barked out a laugh. "But I bet you don't know about that, do you? Friendless loser!" He paused and pretended to think for a moment before grinning. "Hey, hey! Maybe I should go ahead and bang that girl for you!"

His face morphed into a glower. " _Disgusting_ ," he spat. "You're _disgusting_."

"Oh? What about it is so disgusting? _It's just using the resources given to you._ Surely you understand that?"

"Tools and people are two very different things," he said, his eyebrow twitching. He would know, it was why he was so socially inept.

"Oh really? I bet that girl is only trying to use you too! Maybe even pitying the stupid, friendless _loser_ that you are. Yeah, I bet that's it! She's only trying to get close to you out of pity!"

It wasn't true. They were only trying to plant doubt in him.

"Are you really that stupid? Thinking that people and tools are different, _ha_! I don't know if you're stupid or just naive! Everyone uses everyone else, that's the world we live in!"

"Are you trying to preach to him or are you trying to bully him?" someone growled. The girl stormed up to them and and crossed her arms. "If you're trying to bully him… well, I've heard the principal is quite the advocate for anti-bullying."

"You don't know that," the leader growled. "The principal has _never_ cared about that! And besides, we're not bullies! We're simply have a friendly chat!"

The girl glared at them. He had never seen her so angry. "A _friendly chat_. Suuuure," she drawled. "Then why do you look so scared of me now?"

The leader drew back and tightened his fists, his cronies following him. "I'm not scared," he hissed. "You stupid girl! I'm not scared of anything."

She marched up to him. "In denial now, aren't we? I'll tell you why you're so scared. You know you're a bully. You know that you've done something wrong. You know that if the principal ever finds out you're going to be sent straight to suspension. And you really can't have that, can you?" Her tone changed into something sickly sweet. "Mother and Father will be so disappointed in you when your report card shows up with yet another suspension."

"Shut up!" he snapped. He cracked his knuckles. "Unless you want to get pummeled, you won't do _anything_."

"Unless you want to be bombarded with nine eyewitness accounts, you'll stop bullying others."

A flash of fear crossed his eyes. "You're bluffing."

She met his gaze dead on. "You really think so?"

The leader glared at her once before spinning around. "Come on!" he called to his cronies. "This weak little girl isn't worth it." And they marched away.

"Shintaro, are you alright?" the girl cried. He blinked and raised an eyebrow.

"Of course I am, why wouldn't I be?"

"They were attacking you."

"I'm not hurt."

The girl sighed. "They were hurting you _here_." She poked his chest. "Shintaro, you're not a friendless loser. I'm your friend, aren't I?"

"Yeah."

"You're not meeting my eyes."

He tensed and closed them. "So what?" He was afraid of what would happen if he looked at her. It wasn't because of anything that hopeless reject had said.

"Look at me, Shintaro."

He did. Her eyes were blank, and it was _terrifying_.

"I didn't become your friend out of pity."

"Then why did you?" In his pockets, he balled his hands into fists. "For my grades, then? My academics?"

"I decided to be your friend on the _first day of school_. I couldn't have known what your grades were then."

"Then _why_?" He was a socially inept, hopeless reject. No one had ever wanted to associate themselves with him.

She laughed. He jolted. The sound was so sudden, so… light against the atmosphere. It didn't make sense. "Shintaro, do you really need a reason? I became friends with you because I thought you were an interesting person! Besides, there's this little thing called compassion, and I thought you needed some of it."

He frowned. "So you do pity me, then."

"I said _compassion_ , not _pity_. They're two different words! Two different words, two different worlds."

"...Why are you doing this?"

She tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"Just… all of this." No one had ever bothered before. So why did she?

"Isn't it obvious? We're friends!" she chirped. She took his hand and started dragging him towards the exit. "Now come on! School's over, and I wanted to go to the park with you!"

Shintaro shook his head. Almost against his will, a smile tugged at his face. "...Thank you."

The ice in his heart was starting to thaw.

* * *

"Ayano."

His face was blank, as usual, but his hands were trembling in his pockets. He had something to say, something of incredible importance. It was vital that he got this right.

Ayano looked up at him, a smile on her face and a curious glint in her eyes. "What is it, Shintaro?"

"Can we go to the park?" It was so, _so_ hard to keep his face blank. "There's something I want to do there."

"Sure! When are we going?"

"Now."

Ayano tilted her head and nodded. "Alright, just let me pack my things."

In almost no time at all, they were heading out the gates, school bags in hand. When they reached the park, Shintaro pulled ahead and lead her to a large tree off towards the side of the path. He walked to a bench that was carefully tucked out of sight by the thick trunk, and set his bag down. Ayano plopped her bag right next to his.

"So what did you call me here for?"

Shintaro shifted on his feet. His fists felt clammy, almost weak, and his tongue went dry. He softly cleared his throat and averted his eyes. A gradual feeling of lightheadedness came on him, and- Oh god, he was blushing, wasn't he?

He turned his gaze back to Ayano and forced the words out. "I like you."

Ayano froze.

"I- I guess I should say I love you. You're a beautiful person, Ayano, a-and not just because of your looks. I… Ah- well-"

Ayano pressed a finger against his lips and smiled, that special smile that never failed to light up his world and make his heart soar. "I love you too," she murmured, and pressed her lips against his.

He let himself fall into her embrace, the flames wrapping around him on all sides.

She was the fire to his ice, and he had never felt more alive.

* * *

Seven days. Seven days since he had confessed to Ayano, and they started dating.

It all felt so new, so strange. He had never dated anyone before, and apparently, neither did Ayano. They tried to take it all in stride, with… varying levels of success. Shintaro couldn't stop wondering about whether other people had noticed the change. Because there _was_ a change, no matter how miniscule it was. There was a lightness to his step that he never had before, an easing of his mind that made each day feel intensely more real.

He noticed changes in Ayano too. She seemed more fluttery around him, even skittish at times. He had also gotten to see her panicky side, where she would spout words faster than a baseball in the major leagues. He didn't mind, though. It was a welcome change, and it was nice to see that even Ayano could get flustered and embarrassed.

 _Can you come over to my house? My siblings want to meet you!_

He stared at his phone, mentally debating if he had time.

 _And I just got my test scores back._

 _There's a lot of red marks…_

He chuckled softly and started texting. Ayano had come over to his house the day before, so why not?

 _Ok. I'll be there._

 _Great! You know the way, right?_

 _Yes. You told me earlier._

 _K! Don't forget, third house on the left!_

He sent the message and packed up his things. He had just walked out of the school when his phone buzzed again.

 _Help_

He stared at it, waiting for a follow-up message. It didn't come. He frowned and tucked it away. It was probably nothing. She was probably just distracted by her aforementioned siblings. That was what he told himself, but he still quickened his pace.

He was on the sidewalk when the wail of a siren reached him. His eyes were drawn by the flashing red light, and the fire truck raced by him. It was followed by another. He watched them round the turn and disappear, but the sirens still echoed in his head.

The trucks were heading the same way he was going.

He shook his head and growled. Coincidence. Coincidence. He was putting too much stock in coincidence. Even so, he pulled out his phone.

 _What's wrong?_

It was sent before he had the chance to take it back. He huffed. Ayano would probably say that it was nothing, that he had taken it too seriously.

He had gone two blocks when he saw it. A faint black cloud rising in the air. He gritted his teeth and started running.

Another block, and he could hear the crackle. Half a block, and he could taste the smoke.

At the final block, he could see the flames.

He ground to a halt, his chest heaving. There were plumes of dark smoke clotting the sky, staining it a stormy black. A neon orange consumed the house, the colors blazing in his eyes. Bright red trucks barricaded the way, surrounded by a swarm of people.

He staggered back, his eyes locked on the house. His feet carried him back, back, back, until he had reached the far corner of the block, behind the swath of people that whispered and pointed at the burning house.

It was the third house on the left.

He collapsed to his knees. The pavement was cold and bit into his knees. Silent gasps escaped him and he clutched his heart, frozen by the blaze before him. There was no one there to watch him, no one there to care.

Tears streamed down his cheeks and he laughed, the sound a borderline scream as it clawed at his throat. The house of flames flickered at him.

Yes… She was the fire to his ice.

And now she had melted him to water.


End file.
